“We’re seeing the newspaper business collapse in slow motion, but what will replace it? That’s the question behind a wave of start-ups trying to find a new model for local journalism,” says an article on AdAge.com. It takes a look at the new NYTimes’ ‘The Local...

There are many reasons why price comparisons for services aren’t generally done. (i.e. the difficulty of nailing down providers; price changes, the need for custom quotes in many categories). Generally, people should choose service providers on multiple criteria; not just price. But wouldn’t it ...

I've been toiling on a post about last week and the news biz for several days, trying to do it between a mound of grading and other commitments, such as getting out a new Convergence Newsletter. Between the closing of the Rocky, the cancellation of the ASNE conference, various bankruptcies, and the ...

This was the week that was: The owner of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News filed for bankruptcy protection; so did Journal Register Co. Hearst said it would close the San Francisco Chronicle if it cannot drastically cut costs or find a buyer. The Rocky Mountain News ended publication after ne...

If you want some idea why the San Francisco Chronicle is on the brink of extinction, just take a look at its Web site, SFGate. It's a perfectly adequate newspaper Web site–and that's the problem. Newspapers have been fumbling their Web sites for years, and that's one reason why the fut...

We got some requests via Twitter for plugs.  Here are the 3 sites that made the cut: OutAboutBrooklyn: This blog hits the nail on the head when it comes to placeblogging.  They go to places and write about them, and they do it frequently. With the added angle of seeking out LGBT friendly places, O...

One of the homespun stories of interactive local media is the rise of HelloMetro, a city guide company that started in 1999 as an entrepreneurial effort in Louisville, KY, and has since grown to include 15 staffers, including five direct salespeople. The company, which has hundreds of Hello(City nam...

The Official Google Mobile blog reports a new service: Google Latitude, which overlays Google maps with information about where your friends are, in real time. It’s opt-in, and there are privacy features already in place for it, so don’t get all crazy on us now. But I think this is a point in ti...

My coverage of the Conway SC mayoral election continues. Yesterday I posted at Grand Strand Bloggers the video of the mayoral debate. Today I emailed every newspaper and TV station that covers this area to let them know about its existence, as well as all four candidates. I’m desperately tryin...

One of things I look forward to most each day is reading the paper. I don’t know if it’s the tactile nature of the paper edition or some romantic appreciation that I hold towards the old media.  I mean, newspapers have been around since movable type was invented–hundreds and hundr...